"In this new volume, the French historian Marcel Detienne focuses on Eurocentric approaches which have trumpeted the Greeks and their democratic practices as 'our' ancestors and the superiority of the Western tradition to which they gave rise. He argues that such approaches can be seen as narrow-minded and often covertly nationalistic. Detienne advocates what he calls 'comparative anthropology' which sets out to illuminate the comparisons and contrasts between the beliefs, practices and institutions of different ancient and modern societies. Detienne aims to put the Greeks in perspective among other civilizations and also to look afresh at questions of political structure, literacy, nationhood, intellect and mythology."--BOOK JACKET.